Clevis



C. E. MERKEL.

GLEVIS.

APPLICATION FILED M511. 1919.

mmvron Patented Aug. 19, 1919,

By fikr/es 5 Maria/ ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WAsHlNa'ToN, D. c,

CHARLES E. MERKEL, "or MARION, oHIo.

CLEVIS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 19, 1919,

Application filed February 27, 1919. Serial No. 279.520.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MERKEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clevises,of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to clevlses and is designed more particularly for use in connection with plows. There are many different makes of plows, and each make of plow employs a different attaching device or vertical clevis, by means of which the movable clevis and equalizer are secured to the beam. While-these attaching devices are in many cases similar in their main features of construction, they are differently shaped or arranged so that a movable clevis which will fit one plow may not fit another. Because of the many different makes of plows and, consequently, of elevises, it is not practical for a dealer'to carry in stock a supply of all different makes of clevises. Consequently, when a farmer breaks a clevis or for any other reason requires a new one, it is usually necessary. to order it from the factory, which involves a delay which, particularly at certain seasons of the year, may be serious. It has been proposed to provide a universal clevis which may be adjusted to accommodate it to different makes of plows but, so far as they have come to my knowledge, these adjustable clevises have not been satisfactory because they lack regidity and allow too much movement of the movable clevis relatively to the fixed clevis and, moreover,

the adjustable part is attached'to the movable clevis in such a manner that 1t very frequently interferes with the connection of the equalizer thereto- The object of the present invention is to provide a clevis which can be adjusted to acommodate it to fixed clevises of varlous kinds, sizes and arrangements, and which will be ofa strong, rigid construction which will permit of no undesired movement on the art ect the adjustable part of'the clevis thereto that the equalizer can-be attached to the movable clevis at any desired point;

It is also an object of i. he lnvention to provide a device of this kind whlch will be construction and which of the movable clevis; and to so 0011- the-adjustment can be quickly and easily secured A further object of the invention is to. provide an adjustable brace, by means of which such a clevis can be braced against the beam of plows of different makes. 7 V

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of'the forward end of the plow beam showing my clevis attached thereto Fig, 2 is a sectional view taken on the line A A of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the. adjustable arm; andFig, 4 is'a detail view of one part of the adjustable brace;

In thesedrawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as applied to the beam of an ordinary plow, the forward end of' the beam being shown at 1. This beam is provided with an attaching device orfixed ver-v tical clevis of ordinary construction and which, as here shown, comprises two parts or'brackets' 2 arranged 'on opposite sides of the beam 1 and secured thereto by bolts 3. The brackets extend beyond the forward end of the beam and are provided with 'apertures to receive the attaching member of the movable clevis. Usually these brackets are provided with downwardlyprojecting extensions, not shown, each ofw'hich 'has a series of openings to permit the'movable clevis to be attached thereto 'in different vertical positions relatively to thebeam. In different makes of plows/the brackets 2 are of different shapes and are spaced different distances apart. The movable clevis usually comprises a frame consisting of a transversely extending connecting bar. 4: which may be provided with means, such as a-series of holes 5, by means of which they equalizer may beconnected thereto indifferent transverse positions relatively to the beam, the connection usually being made by an attaching' device 6 which may be of any suitable character. The" frame further comprises extending rearwardly from the connecting bar 4: and having openings to receive the attaching member 9, which is preferably in the form of a bolt adapted to extend through theopenings in the arms 7 and 8 and in the brackets 2. Itwill be obvious if the-arms two arms 7 and 8 rigidly secured to and 7 and 8 are spaced apart a distance suflicient to enable them to receive between themselves the twoparts of a fixed cl'evis of a certain v size that if applied to a smaller or narrower fixed clevis there will be more or less play between the arms of the movable clevis and the brackets of the fixed clevis,'which will permit transverse movement of the movable clevis and will prevent the same from being retained in a fixed transverse position relatively to the beam. Likewise, if the movable clevis is designed for a Small fixed clevis it cannot be applied to a larger fixed clevis.

In order to accommodate my clevis to plows of different makes having fixed clevises of different kinds, I have spaced the arms 7 and 8 thereof apart a distance sufficient to permit them to embrace between themselves the brackets of any ordinary fixed clevis, and I have further provided an in termediate arm which is adjustable along the attaching member or bolt 9 to accommodate the same to fixed clevises of different widths. This arm is rigidly secured to the frame of the movable clevis independently of the openings in the connecting bar 1; This arm may take various forms and may be secured to the frame of the clevis in different ways but, in the present construction, it comprises an apertured arm 10 similar to the arms 7 and 8 and is provided at its forward end with a clamping plate 11, which is formed integral therewith and is provided with an elongated opening or slot 12. This clamping plate cooperates with a fixed clamping plate 13 which is rigidly secured to, and preferably formed integral with, the frame of the clevis and, as here shown, it is arranged between the arms 7 and 8 in the rear of the connecting bar l. The fixed clamping plate is also provided with an elongated opening or slot 14 which registers with the slot 12 of the first mentioned clamping plate when the latter is in position thereon. A clamping bolt 15 extends through the two slots and serves to clamp the same firmly in contact one with the other. Preferably, the contacting faces of the two clamping plates are serrated, as shown at 16 and 17, to give the same a firmer gripping action and prevent any tendency to slip lengthwise. I also prefer to provide the clamping plate 11, of the arm 10, with depending portions to engage parts of the fixed clamping plate and hold the arm against any tendency to pivot or turn about the bolt 15. As here shown, a narrow flange or lug 18 extends downwardly from the rear edge of the clamping plate 11 and engages the rear edge of the fixed clamping plate 13. The forward edge of the clamping plate 11 is provided with a-fiange 19 which extends downwardly into engagement with a shoulder 20 extending longitudinally of the fixed clamping plate 13 between the slot 1% and the connecting bar 4. The depending flanges fit snugly against the respective parts of the fixed contact plate, but are so arranged as to permit the free longitudinal movement of the movable plate upon the fixed plate, when the bolt 15 is loosened. It will be apparent, therefore, that the adjustable arm, or stop, 10 can be moved into any position, within the limits of the slots in the two clamping plates, and can be very rigidly secured in its adjusted position so that the arm will form a firm stop or abutment against which the adjacent bracket of the fixed clevis may bear, and which will prevent the transverse movement of the movable clevis as effectively as will the integral arm of the ordinary clevis. Further, it will be apparent that the arm 10 is so connected with the clevis as a whole that it does not utilize or obstruct any of the openings in the connecting bar a and, consequently, the attaching device 6 for the equalizer may be applied to the connecting bar at any desired point, and it usually happens that the equalizer will be attached to the connecting bar at a point substantially in alinement with the arm 10. Moreover, it will be noted that the frame of the clevis comprises but two parts, to which are added the attaching bolt 9 and the clamping bolt 15. Not only does this greatly facilitate the manufacture of the clevis, but it provides a construction in which there are very few joints to weaken the construction or to become loosened in use.

'It is customary to brace the clevis against the side of the beam by means of a brace bar extending from the end of the bolt 9 of the clevis to one of the bolts 3 in the beam. To enable my clevis to be braced against beams in which the bolts 3 may occupy different positions, I have provided an adjustable brace bar comprising two parts 21 and 22, having their adjacent ends overlapping and provided with serrations or teeth :23. A bolt 24 extends through slots in the over' lapping parts of the two arms and rigidly secures them in adjusted positions. The one part of the brace bar has an opening to receive the end of the bolt 9 while the other part has an opening to receive one of the bolts 3 in the beam, the two parts of the bar being so shaped as to permit them tobe readily attached to the respective parts. Obviously, by loosening the bolt 24: the two parts of the bar may be adjusted relatively one to the other to increase or decrease its length.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof, as obvious modifica tions will occur to a person skilled in'the' art.

Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new and desire to -Se'- cure by Letters Patent is: g V

1. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar and.

arms carried by said bar to support an attaching member, one of said arms being adjustable, said frame having a clamping plate rigidly secured thereto in the rear of said connecting bar and provided with, an elongated opening, and said arm having a part adapted to engage said clamping plate, and a bolt to extend through said part of said arm and the opening in said clamping plate to connect the arm in adjusted position thereon.

2. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar and arms carried by said bar to support an attaching member, one of said arms being adjustable, said frame having a clamping plate rigidly secured thereto in the rear of said connecting bar and provided with an elongated opening, and said arm having a part adapted to engage said clamping plate, a bolt to extend through said part of said arm and the opening in said clamping plate to connect' the arm in adjusted positions thereto, said clamping plate and said part of said arm having cooperating parts to hold the arm against turning movement about said bolt.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar and arms rigidly secured to said connecting bar near the ends thereof, and an intermediate arm adjustably secured to said frame between the first mentioned arms and independently of said connecting bar.

4. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar, arms rigidly secured thereto near the ends thereof, said frame having a part rigidly secured thereto between said arms and in the rear of said connecting bar, and another arm arranged between the first mentioned arms and adjustably mounted on said part of said frame.

5. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar and arms rigidly secured thereto near the ends thereof, a clamping plate rigidly secured to said frame between said arms and in the rear of said connecting bar, another arm arranged between the first mentloned arms and having connected therewith a clamping.

plate adapted to cooperate with the first mentioned clamping plate,-and' means to secure said last mentioned clamping plate in adjusted positions on the first mentioned clamping plate.

6. In a device of the character described, a one-piece frame comprising a connecting bar, arms arranged near the ends thereof, and a clamping plate, an adjustable arm interposed between said first mentioned arms and having a part adapted to engage said clamping plate, and means for securing said part of said arm in adjusted positions on said plate.

7. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar and arms rigidly secured to said bar near the ends thereof to support an attaching member, an arm adjustable along said attaching member, and means for rigidly securing said adjustable arm to said frame.

8. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising a connecting bar and arms rigidly secured near the ends thereof, an intermediate arm adjustably secured to said frame and an adjustable brace adapted to be connected to one of the fixed arms of said frame.

9. The combination with a beam, a connecting device therefor, a bolt to secure said connecting device to said beam, and a clevis comprising fixed arms to support an attaching member and an arm adjustable along said attaching member, of a brace bar comprising two parts adjustably connected one to the other and adapted to be connected respectively with said bolt in said beam and with said attaching member on the outer side of one of said fixed arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

CHARLES E. MERKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, I). 0. 

